Inveria - Ruined Eastern District

Decaying eastern street

Day 2 - 12:49 PM Demeter Standard Time

Entering the city proved quite easy.

Asriel had the idea to contact Tatalus using「Message」and ask him to order Simak to have the undead let them into the city. After giving the order and Tatalus giving them the green light to proceed, Asriel and his companions revealed themselves. This of course startled the guards, but did not result in a battle, something Asriel was grateful for, as he wanted to focus on exploration. The undeads' heads turned to follow them as they made their way through the city gate, with Malacus, Zuriel, and Savina holding their heads high as proud servants of the Supreme Beings, while Asriel's head was slowly turning left and right and left again as he surveyed his surroundings for potential enemies.

Just because these guys didn't attack us doesn't mean nothing will.

As he looked for potential threats, he took notice of the damage the buildings before him had sustained. Like Tatalus had said in his report, it wasn't just decay from years of neglect. It looks like some kind of blaze swept through the city, most likely from some kind of fire spell. The lack of enormous craters everywhere he looked caused him to mentally cross out「Nuclear Blast」or anything else that did massive damage to structures and to one's surroundings.

Could this be the work of the Thirteen Heroes, or is it more likely to be the work of the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord? We barely know anything about either party... Maybe we can pry more info out from that Night Lich later. Mmm, but what if he only has a surface-level understanding of both? We'll have to get our hands on more of the organization's members if that ends up being the case. I'll have to remember to tell Tatalus about this when I get back.

"What a repulsive sight," Malacus said, bringing Asriel out from his thoughts, "this place is in horrid condition. I knew it would be awful, but the report didn't do this place justice. How the so-called 'ruler' of this city could even think to let it continue on in such a deplorable state, so close to the Palace of Demeter, is beyond me. Shall I execute him, Lord Asriel? I believe it to be justified, considering his blasphemy."

Zuriel and Savina frowned at his words, but not as intensely as before.

"Isn't that jumping the gun a bit, Malacus? It might be possible that Simak Taril Disada doesn't have the resources required to rebuild this city," Zuriel replied.

Savina nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, just because he has several undead servants doesn't mean that he has the building materials on hand. Those could belong to the other Nigh Liches, ones unwilling to trade with him."

Malacus rolled his eyes.

"Oh, boo-hoo, big shot Night Lich can't afford a few stone bricks. Give me a break. It's no excuse to leave things as they are, and it is certainly no excuse to insult the Supreme Beings in such a manner."

"Cut it out, all of you," Asriel said, raising his voice, "I don't want you guys arguing for the rest of this trip, got it?"

The three NPCs lowered their heads sadly.

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

Asriel nodded.

"Good," he said, "now, to answer your question Malacus, no, you can't execute Simak. We need him to be our inside man in Corpus of the Abyss. Killing him would rob us of the opportunity to gather information about their organization. Who knows how many of its members would be hostile to us if we showed ourselves? And who knows what kind of never-before-seen spells or magic items they might have."

Malacus dipped his head.

"Forgive me, Master. I knew your intentions, and still wished to punish one of your valuable pawns. For the second time today, I have displeased you with my words, please forgive me."

Asriel took a breath to calm himself. He did not want to sound agitated. It would only make things worse.

"Forgiveness is granted. Please do better when it comes to what words leave your mouth."

Malacus dipped his head once more.

"Thank you, Great One, for your infinite patience."

I certainly don't feel infinitely patient, Asriel thought.

Zuriel and Savina appeared to be on the verge of tears. The display of their creator's benevolence had deeply moved them.

"You are so kind, Lord. It brings a tear to my eye," Zuriel managed to say as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"As it does to mine! You are definitely the kindest Supreme Being!" Savina added, likewise wiping away her tears.

Asriel couldn't help but shake his head, which, thankfully, none of the NPCs noticed.

These guys just don't know when to stop glazing, huh? I don't really feel kind or patient. James seems to fit the bill better than I do, with all of those times he did stuff for me without asking for anything in return.

Though, it appears that may be changing. Asriel had seen the face that Goren wore while they were slaying those zombies outside Demeter. He looked like a total maniac, cutting down all of them with glee. Sure, the two of them had fun all the time slaying enemies in Yggdrasil, but back then, one's avatar couldn't display one's real-world facial expressions. It was a built-in limitation in the game, meant to prevent Players from becoming too immersed in virtual reality and forgetting about the real world. This was due to the photorealistic graphics the game had, which were so lifelike that such a thing was a real possibility. In this new world however, that restriction doesn't exist, which made it all the more disturbing seeing his best friend make a face he had never known him to make before.

I'll have to bring this up with James when I get back. I have to hear his side of things. Maybe it's not what it seems.

Shaking his thoughts away, Asriel refocused himself on his objective. He couldn't leave himself vulnerable to attack by staying lost in his own worries.

"Lord Asriel? We found something we'd like to check out!" It was Savina.

Asriel had spent so much time engrossed in his own thoughts that he had failed to notice that the trio of NPCs had ceased following him.

"What've you found?" Asriel asked, making his way over to them. He looked at the structure that they had gathered before and quickly realized what it was.

A temple.

He groaned audibly.

He had always disliked religion. He had long believed it to be one of humanity's faults. He couldn't understand why people would believe in something that clearly didn't exist. Living in the hellhole called Earth should've been proof enough! No 'divine' figure had ever come down from the clouds and magically solved all of the world's problems. No Rapture had occurred. No miracles were performed by some guy. And yet, people still believed in it. Had killed for it. In his eyes, they fought over whose made-up nonsense was slightly less fake.

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"Is this building not to your liking, Lord Asriel?" Zuriel asked, her face wearing an expression of concern.

"Is it because it is in ruins?" Savina asked.

"Shall I destroy it for you, Lord?" The grip Malacus had on his halberd tightened in anticipation.

Tempting, but no. It would draw too much attention.

"It's not the building itself that displeases me, but what it represents."

And he wasn't lying about that. Despite his dislike of religion, he could still appreciate the work that went into constructing this edifice. Architecture is one of the casual interests that he shares with Goren, and it applies to temples as well. He had found various images of centers of worship on the internet from around the world, preserved online in spite of their destruction in the physical world, and found them to be quite beautiful. It was one of the few things he was willing to give religion points for: they knew how to build gorgeous structures. As he looked at the temple before him, even in it's ruined state, he could still see some of its beauty had survived.

"I just don't like religion," Asriel continued, "it's just some fraudulent nonsense that people fight over."

The trio of NPCs nodded in understanding.

"I agree," Malacus said, "All religions are fraudulent. The only true religion will be the one that we will establish in your name and in the name of Lord Goren. That is, if that is what you wish, Lord."

Zuriel's and Savina's faces lit up in excitement.

"That sounds like fun!" Savina squealed, "we absolutely should spread worship of the Supreme Beings to all corners of this world!

Zuriel rubbed her hands together, the grin not leaving her face. "That would be wonderful. Just as we are blessed to be creations of the Supreme Beings, so would the peoples of this world be blessed to have such benevolent deities to place their faith in."

Asriel shook his head, something that was starting to become a habit. It seems that no matter what he said or did, the NPCs would twist it into something that would fit their perfect image of him.

I already have these guys worshiping me at every opportunity, I don't think I can handle millions of people doing so too. But...

Seeing their excited expressions, the way they smiled, the way they looked at him, he just couldn't do it. He couldn't tell them no.

I guess I'll let them have this one, even if it bothers me.

"...Yeah. We'll do that when the time comes," he said with a small, strained smile.

"As you command, Supreme One!" They shouted in unison.

Asriel suppressed a sigh.

"Now, then. Why don't we explore this temple?"

The NPCs nodded in acknowledgement.

"At once, Lord!"

Savina stepped forward, placing herself in front of the temple's wooden double doors with a big smile.

"Allow me, Master," she said as she pushed the doors open for the group.

"If opening any doors we come across is what you want, then feel free to do so," he replied, "but be on the lookout for traps."

"Thank you, Lord, I shall keep that in mind!"

The double doors shut behind them with a thud. Faint light from the overcast sky above poured through the half-collapsed ceiling, illuminating the main hall. Even if the room was fully dark, it wouldn't be a problem for Asriel, Malacus, and Zuriel. All three were members of species who naturally had the Dark Vision racial trait, which allowed them to see in complete darkness up to 60 feet in every direction, however what they would see would only be in black and white. Savina, an Immortal Human, is the only member of their party that didn't have this ability, and so she would need to rely on spells or magic items to see in the dark.

The walls to the left and right of the main hall had stained glass windows depicting two figures, one a male holding a gem in his hand who seems to be associated with the sun, and a female wielding a jeweled staff who seems to be associated with the moon. Likely a 'sun god' and a 'moon goddess', if Asriel had to guess. There was also some kind of unknown writing on the stained glass as well. His interest was piqued.

I think I remember packing my Magic Glasses into my Infinite Haversacks for this trip. Let's see if they can help shed some light on this mystery.

Asriel retrieved the Infinite Haversack from his Item Box and loosened the strings, then reached inside to retrieve the Magic Glasses. Tightening the strings once more and putting the Infinite Haversack back into his Item Box, Asriel equipped the Magic Glasses. It is a magic item that translates written text into a written language that is understood by the user. It is powered by the user's mana, so it won't work if the user isn't a caster or if their MP had been exhausted.

Instantly, the unknown text was replaced by English, causing Asriel to exhale in satisfaction.

"Good, it's working," Asriel said to nobody in particular. He raised a hand to silence the NPCs before they could speak. He didn't want them to break his concentration. Just as predicted, the NPCs opened their mouths to speak, but shut them immediately upon seeing his raised hand.

He spent several moments walking from window to window, reading the text as his Magic Glasses translated them. Even if it didn't interest him on a religious or spiritual level, it did interest him on a lore-finder's level. Exploring Yggdrasil and various other games to uncover their lore was one of his favorite parts of gaming. It is no different here.

Once he was done reading all of the text, he removed the Magic Glasses from his face but did not place them back into his Item Box. They might come in handy later, so Asriel instead decided to hold onto them, keeping them in his clenched hand. To get the attention of his companions, he whistled loud and clear, just like he used to in his Marine days.

"Yes, Lord Asriel?" The trio of NPCs answered.

They're more attentive than some of the guys I've served with. The thought made him chuckle internally.

"I have concluded my investigation of the stained-glass windows," he announced.

"Oh? What did you learn?" Malacus asked.

"I'm glad you asked," he said, pointing at the male figure on one of the windows, "that one is Bei Niala, the Sun God." He then pointed at the female figure on another window, "And that one is Lu Kinis, the Moon Goddess. They were, or maybe still are, the deities of the Na Bel faith, if it's still around. They are partners, husband and wife, as one cannot exist without the other. It is clear that these two were worshiped by the people of this fallen kingdom."

"Brilliant, Lord! Expertly deduced!" Savina spoke, beaming. It was an expression that Asriel was coming to expect from her.

"I second those words, Lord Asriel," Zuriel said, also beaming.

"As do I!" Malacus added, not wanting to be left out. He didn't beam like the other two, but he still did look proud of his creator. He likely felt disappointed by the fact that he was the last to compliment his master, Asriel guessed.

"That's not all," Asriel said, before continuing," Bei Niala, the Sun God, holds dominion over the material world, its people, and its riches, which are represented by the gem in his hand." He made his way over to the window showing Bei Niala with his gem and gestured at it.

After several seconds, he made his way to the window showing Lu Kinis wielding her staff and pointed at it. "In contrast, Lu Kinis, the Moon Goddess, holds dominion over all immaterial things and magic, which are represented by her staff."

Asriel then made his way over to a window depicting Bei Niala and Lu Kinis together in a cycle. "Together, they hold important roles in the cosmic order that cannot be fulfilled without the other. The Sun God gives the living their corporeal forms, while the Moon Goddess judges the souls of the dead to determine if they're worthy to enter the afterlife or to be sent back to the material world to experience life again, so that they may try again to become worthy. This happens again and again until one is finally worthy and leaves the material world behind forever. However, those who are judged to be unworthy of life are sent back to the material world, where they rise as undead."

The trio nodded, visibly enthralled by their master's words.

"The two deities are said to combine their energies to create offspring, which they send to the material world to be born in the wombs of mortal women, as blessings to them and those around them. Sometime after birth, these children are recognized as demigods, children of the Sun God and the Moon Goddess, becoming important members of societies that venerate Bei Niala and Lu Kinis. ...At least, that's what I assume happens. The windows aren't clear on that."

The NPCs nodded once more, enjoying the lecture their creator is giving them.

After a moment of silence, Asriel realized that they were waiting for him to continue. However, that was the end of his spiel.

"...that's all I've read. The rest of the windows are too damaged to decipher."

At that, the trio broke out into applause.

"Thank you for your excellent lesson, Lord! I enjoyed every second of it!" This this, it was Zuriel who spoke first, with a big smile on her face.

"Me too, master! Nobody in the world could match the way you presented the topic!" Malacus said, noticeably happier that he didn't speak last this time.

"Exactly! You are the master of lectures and public speaking!" Savina added.

Asriel gave them a small bow of his head, trying his hardest to hide his embarrassment. He wasn't sure if they were being honest with him, or if their programmed loyalty was influencing their judgement. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

"T-Thanks, I appreciate it."

The trio made pleased noises at this.

I'm starting to really miss James. I can have conversations with him about anything and not have to worry about unrelenting and undeserved praise over every little thing. As weird as it sounds, the constructive criticism he gives me when I need it is feeling more and more appealing.

Shaking his thoughts away, he turned his attention back to his companions.

"Let's continue to explore this temple, shall we? There's likely more lore in here somewhere."

The trio nodded and returned to their former positions at his side as his bodyguards.